CNDP1 (CTG)5 allele and cardiovascular events in high-risk patients: LURIC study results

Homozygous carriers of the CNDP1 (CTG)5 allele with diabetes mellitus are believed to have a lower risk of developing diabetic kidney disease compared to individuals carrying alleles with higher numbers of this CTG repeat. However, recent studies claimed that homozygosity for the (CTG)5 allele increases the risk of disease progression towards end-stage renal disease and even cardiovascular mortality, at least in women. Therefore, this study sought to confirm in a prospective manner in a cardiovascular high-risk cohort if individuals with two (CTG)5 alleles indeed have an increased cardiovascular mortality. 3,201 individuals from the LURIC study were included and followed for a median of 9.9 years. CNDP1 (CTG)n genotypes were assessed and related to all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. 1,157 (36.1%) patients carried the homozygous CNDP1 (CTG)5 genotype. No significant difference for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality was detected after multiple adjustments for cardiovascular risk factors, neither for the whole cohort nor for men or women, respectively. In this prospective cardiovascular high-risk cohort, homozygosity for the CNDP1 (CTG)5 allele was not associated with increased cardiovascular mortality compared to all other genotypes together. These findings do not confirm previous reports suggesting a sex-specific increase in cardiovascular mortality among women carrying two (CTG)5 alleles.